Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes has been pictured alongside a player the Magpies were very keen on signing in 2023.
The Brazilian is enjoying some well-earned time off after securing a return to the Champions League for the Magpies on the final day of the Premier League season.
Bruno Guimaraes has done an exceptional job in his first season as Newcastle United captain, becoming the first skipper to lift silverware with the Magpies since 1969.
The 27-year-old has been Newcastle’s public speaker throughout the season, regularly taking to social media to reflect on performances or call for support from the fans.
While on the pitch at full-time on the final day of the season, Guimaraes called for new signings at Newcastle ahead of their return to the Champions League. He is set to get his wish this summer as Eddie Howe will be given a sizeable budget to make changes.
As Guimaraes waits to see who his new teammates will be, he has been pictured alongside a fellow Premier League star who has previously been linked with a move to Tyneside.
- Who is Bruno Guimaraes? Meet Newcastle’s brilliant Brazilian lighting up the Premier League
Bruno Guimaraes pictured with Lucas Paqueta in Brazil
West Ham attacker Lucas Paqueta made a move to the Premier League in 2023, joining the Hammers for a fee of £51m.
However, at one point, it looked like the Brazilian was likely to join Newcastle and link up with fellow national teammates Guimaraes and Joelinton.
In an interview in 2023, Guimaraes urged Newcastle to sign Paqueta, naming him as the one Brazilian player he would like the Magpies to sign, but it was not to be.
Despite his allegiance to West Ham, Guimaraes remains great friends with Paqueta outside of football, and they were pictured with each other on the Newcastle man’s Instagram story.
The pair have met up in Brazil to enjoy their post-season holiday together, where they appear to have been fishing.
Lucas Paqueta likened to former Newcastle United star
Paqueta featured in Newcastle’s win against West Ham in March, a game that was just days before the historic Carabao Cup final win at Wembley.
The 27-year-old came off the bench to try and make something of the game, but the Hammers could do very little to break down Newcastle’s back line.
This season has been a disappointing one for Paqueta, who has struggled to find the form he had in Ligue 1 before moving to West Ham. He will feel even worse that he was likened to former Newcastle star and cult hero Hatem Ben Arfa by Alan Pardew.
Pardew said Paqueta was a “liability” and compared him to Ben Arfa due to his lack of defensive qualities.
West Ham boss Graham Potter’s defensive style of football means Paqueta must learn to play to the style of the head coach if he wants to be successful in the Premier League.
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